Koronande
The River Kingdom of Koronande Located in the sub–tropical river valley of the Nunduinë (Great Blue-Silver Snake) that runs into the Bay of Reefs of the great Eastern Sea, the Kingdom of Koronande was founded by branches of the Kindi (of the Nelyar) and the Tatyar Kinn-lai. The Cities of Koronande Khârutârik, at the mouth of the great river Nunduinë, and Tarik an-Aruwânâi are the most important cities, the last being the capital of the Empire. Khârutârik’s hundred thousand residents live in a city aligned along four large canals and is a marvel of fine masonry and woodwork. It serves as the principal point of exchange between the Womaw tribes of man, and the Avari of the SE of Endor. It is the largest city on the Eastern Ocean. The capital, the royal city of Tarik an- Aruwânâi lies some 20 leagues upstream from Khârutârik, on a copse– topped plateau overlooking the Nunduinë. The royal city is an airy maze of intricately carved wooden towers adjoining the forest copse of giant Mengaris from which large platforms are hung and accessed by hanging bridges. The Mengaris are famed for their giant honeybees and the fabulous honey they make. The capital has a population of 35,000. Upstream of the cities, in the rain forested portion of the Valley, the Koronandi construct beautiful and elaborate homes in the branches of the huge trees, which often grow to heights exceeding 100 ells, larger even than those in the Capital, the greatest example of which is the town of Tauronde. Trade and Relations The extremely fertile lands of the great valley produce an abundance of diverse foodstuffs at the hands of the gifted farmers of the Valley, the surplus which is traded throughout the greater region. The Koronandi have in addition always been friendly to the Secondborn, as theyslowly left the land of their awakening, teaching them much of the arts of agriculture. Cultivated moth cocoons are woven into a lightweight but strong and lustrous cloth that dyed in many colorswas one the most sought after trade items of Palisor and Romenor and made the realm both rich and envied by its Northern cousins. The Court The Royal court stands on simple ceremony and the Kinn-lai Queen, who makes herself accessible to theirconcerns, is in return loved by her mostly Kindi subjects. Koronande is well known for favoring diplomacy before war and compromise over adamant policies. Defense of the Realm There is a small guard supplemented by militias in time of war and a riverine and coastal navy. Koranande is not the match for the mariners of the Sea of Havens and her ships rarely sail out of sight of land. They are quite adept in the waters of their native Nunduinë, knowing every sandbar and hidden cove. The guard of the land is of 10,000 spearmen, armoured in laquered wood and organized to attack in disaplined formations, shields overlapped. The navy doubles as part of the merchant fleet of which there are over 500 ships, half of which ply the river, up to the 1st cataract, 250 leagues upstream. The militia is much larger, 45,000 archers, slingers and spearman. It is well they have these defenders, as the Elorna sometimes raid the hinterlands of their rich but treacherous coastline. And not all Men of the SE of Romenor are friendly. Map of Koronande Category:Realms